1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to eyeglasses and their cases, and more particularly, to a combination of flexible reading glasses and a wrist-worn case for housing the reading glasses when not in use.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Many people today have vision problems that require correction. Toward this end, the eyeglass and contact lens industry has developed to include a wide variety of eyeglass types and styles. From as early as the 1300's, eyeglasses were made that clamped on the nose. This was done by rotating the lenses around a pivot on the bridge between the two lenses into firm contact with the nose. Beginning in the 1840's, the Pince-Nez (“nose-pinchers” in French) eyeglasses were first worn. These glasses consisted of lenses, cork nose guards and a spring bridge biasing of the lenses to clamp the nose. Later, in 1890, rimless eyeglasses were made by drilling holes in the glass lenses to hold the nose bridge and the temples to the lenses. The “rimless” innovation was added to the Pince-Nez eyeglasses to form a rimless Pince-Nez, although the metal spring bridge and nose guards remained.
In 1916, William R. Uhlemann invented an “eyeglass bridge or arch”, formed of vitreous or transparent vitreous material such as glass, that is integrally connected to the eyeglass lenses (U.S. Pat. No. 1,167,953). In 1927, Percy Kirk and Sydney Mortimer Kirk invented improved mounts for connecting the bridges of rimless pince-nez glasses (U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,724) and Jules Lafevre invented lens clamping brackets for pince-nez glasses (U.S. Pat. No. 1,632,906). In 1937, George E. Nerney invented a frame for pince-nez eyeglasses known as an “Oxford” frame (U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,513) and in 1938, Joseph Pearson of England secured British Patent No. 490,197 for his invention of spectacles made in one piece of “artificial molded material” that is not glass, and comprising two lenses connected together by a connecting piece of the same material as that used for the lenses.
In 1991, Charles Baratelli invented one-piece, frameless pince-nez eyeglasses, made of new lightweight plastics, with a flexible bridge (U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,087) and Carl Manus invented adjustable and foldable reading pince-nez reading glasses (U.S. Pat. No. D 322,262).
Numerous cases and containers have been designed for storing eyeglasses and associated products such as a second pair of glasses, contact lens cases, etc. Although not exhaustive, the following list provides some useful background information:
Pat. No.InventorDescriptionD 308,752HallEyeglass case and utility pouchD 351,945KopelCombined eyeglass cases and walletD 379,263SussmanCase for eyeglasses and contact lensesD 452,612AlexandroffZippered, flexible case for multiple pairs ofeyeglasses1,995,664BoyesCase with two separate compartments3,144,127FogelTwo-in-one eyeglass case3,825,110Halbich et alHinged, molded hard plastic case4,865,186GatesCase for eyeglasses and contact lenses4,951,811LinesCombined eyeglass case, contact lens andaccessories case4,960,208TempkeEyeglass case kit with folding flat5,016,749Kaye et alCase for carrying eyeglasses and contact lenses5,676,242ScottCase for eyeglasses and sunglasses5,915,545Shackel et alFlexible style kit with fastener for eyeglassholder5,921,383Shefler et alRigid type eyeglass case with two shellmembers6,003,663NewcomerCase with rigid internal member and flexiblecovering6,164,452EllisPersonal optical care container
A significant problem with reading glasses from the wearer's perspective is the tendency to lose or forget the glasses, and conventional eyeglass cases do nothing toward solving the problem. Indeed, they rather promote losing or forgetting both the eyeglasses and the case. It would be no great feat to design a more “user-attached” eyeglass case, except that eyeglasses are odd-shaped and typically require an elongated case, and users are conscious of their appearance and typically do not want a bulky or aesthetically unappealing appendage.
In an effort to provide more convenience for the eyeglass wearer, several disclosures are relevant. Arad (U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,197) describes an emergency eyeglass consisting of a flat, plate shaped body, which includes two optical lenses, integrally molded from plastics. Herman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,280) describes rimless eyeglasses having removable lenses, and Sarif (U.S. Pat. No. 7,117,990) describes a credit card-sized, modular set having a flexible stow envelope for receiving a companion nose-clasping (Pince-Nez) type reading glasses.
Folding eyeglasses make up the final category relevant to the invention. Windgate (U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,319), Nixon (U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,968), and Chartrese (U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,964) each disclose foldable eyeglasses. Perhaps the most relevant invention is that by Douillard (U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,186) which describes a pair of folding eyeglasses and watch carrying case in which the eyeglasses are stored in a carrying case beneath a pivotal watch movement.
Finally, and more recently, Kuo (U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,541) discloses eyeglasses, which are convertible into an eyeglass case, and Gao (U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,366) describes eyeglasses that can be folded to form a case using the temple bars.
None of these patents, however, suggests or discloses a convenient, universally attachable bracelet or eyeglass watchband case, or innovative design integral to the watchband itself for Pince-Nez style eyeglasses. The present invention approaches the problem both from the design of the case, as well as the eyeglasses themselves, and provides a combination of flexible Pince-Nez reading glasses that rest securely on the wearer's nose, and a wrist-worn case for housing the reading glasses when not in use. The case incorporates a unique storage compartment that easily facilitates carrying eyeglasses at all times, with such glasses functioning as spare or as an original pair. Due to the convenience, any individual can always carry a pair of glasses and eliminate the possibility of being caught without suitable vision aids.